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T O P I C R E V I E W

328KF

I came across this photo on the San Diego Air & Space Museum's flickr page among their Wally Schirra collection. Does anyone have any information about this funeral where the Mercury 7 astronauts all served as pallbearers? There was no information attached to the photo.

Joel Katzowitz

I have no idea whose funeral it was but the photographer did a great job catching all 7 faces, especially Cooper who was in the back.

robsouth

Is it the funeral of Leo DeOrsey?

Robert Pearlman

Rob, that may be it. Page 277 of the book "Father Hartke: His Life and Legacy to the American Theater" by Mary Jo Santo Pietro and Gilbert Hartke includes:

...funeral of Leo DeOrsey, attorney for the original astronauts, who served as pall bearers at the funeral.

The date of the funeral is given as May 5, 1965 at Blessed Sacrament Church in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

ColinBurgess

If you Google Image a photo showing the front of the church, you'll see that Robert is quite correct - that is indeed the doorway to the church in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

328KF

Great detective work gentlemen! Robert, how in the world did you come up with that reference?

Given the date when this occurred, I wonder how long it had been since the seven were together prior to the funeral?

Glenn had resigned from NASA in January 1964 and Carpenter was three months from diving to SEALAB II in August 1965.

Lou Chinal

I'll stick my neck and say the last time all seven were together was Oct. 10th 1963, at the White House.

mach3valkyrie

I'm wondering if they were together again after that date, May 5, 1965. Cooper and Schirra still had their Gemini flights and it was a little more than a 1 1/2 years before we lost Gus Grissom.

Blackarrow

A very poignant photograph. The Seven were truly a brotherhood. It is sad to know that only one of those pallbearers is still with us.

ColinBurgess

All seven Mercury astronauts attended the funeral of Ted Freeman on 3 November 1964. As I noted in "Fallen Astronauts," it was the very last time every one of American astronauts was in the same place together.

Robert Pearlman

quote:Originally posted by 328KF:...come up with that reference?

As a postscript, I should note that a more topical and current reference is Marketing the Moon by our "own" David Meerman Scott and Richard Jurek. On page 29 of the book (set to be released imminently), it is noted:

When DeOrsey died in 1965, the Mercury 7 astronauts were pall bearers at his funeral.

Robert Pearlman

quote:Originally posted by ColinBurgess:...it was the very last time every one of American astronauts was in the same place together.

Just to be clear, by this you mean that all the astronauts chosen up to that date gathered in 1964, and not just the Mercury 7 (who would come together again the next year for DeOrsey's funeral), correct?

ColinBurgess

Correct, Rob. All 28 active astronauts were there, plus John Glenn (dressed in full Marine uniform) who had resigned from NASA in January of that year.